Top Speed

[Mr Singh]

the calculations i use to work out the top speed is see what the speed is at 2000 rpm in top gear and then see what the speed is at 3000 rpm and then work out the top speed. and it works out to be pretty accurate

e.g. if the speed is 50 at 2000 rpm and 70 at 3000 rpm then its gone up by 20mph in 1000 rpm, and if the engine revs to 6500 rpm it works out that the top speed will be approx 140mph

[jeebowhite]

That is a good logic, however the vehicles are limited to 118mph by standard for the standard Focus, and up to 130 for the sport versions (if I remember correctly)

[Stoney871]

I own a Sport and will neither confirm or deny that.

;)

[DanGersFord]

BRB Just going to remove the eyelashes from my car lmao

[FOCA]

the calculations i use to work out the top speed is see what the speed is at 2000 rpm in top gear and then see what the speed is at 3000 rpm and then work out the top speed. and it works out to be pretty accurate

e.g. if the speed is 50 at 2000 rpm and 70 at 3000 rpm then its gone up by 20mph in 1000 rpm, and if the engine revs to 6500 rpm it works out that the top speed will be approx 140mph

Often cars have an "overdrive" top gear so the car cannot actually acheive the theoretical top speed and sometimes are faster in 5th than 6th (+ raising the top gear alone will not give you a higher top speed - you need the power/ torque to pull it)

The aerodynamic drag is the square of the speed (non linear)- if you double the speed there is four times the drag - so there is four times the aerodynanic drag at 120mph than there is at 60mph - this is why you get a much better MPG cruising at 60mph than at 70

The speedo on the car is allowed to be 10% out - more often than not, it reads 10% more than the actual speed - so that when you see 130mph, you could actually be really doing 117mph, also, when manufacturers/ magazines etc do their tests, they are done with accurate timing/ speed equipment that measures the ACTUAL speed, on top of this, the tests are done on the flat (a hill or even a slight downhill gradient can make a big difference to the speed) as well as the effect of a tailwind (a significant effect- see above)

So if you have an optomistic speedo, a tailwind and a gradient you could see speeds on the speedo that you are not actually doing, and are not achievable on the flat with no wind, and you cannot compare these figures to actual legitimately measured performance figures accurately measured in controlled conditions (like the tests manufacturers and magazine do) - so, for example, if you compare the top speed you've seen on your speedo to another cars that was properly tested (same goes for 0-60mph standing 1/4 mile/ 50-70mph in top etc)

[b1g_dav3]

Great, so when I drove a Corsa off a cliff I can't say I got to the top speed of 75mph -.-

[Mr Singh]

Often cars have an "overdrive" top gear so the car cannot actually acheive the theoretical top speed and sometimes are faster in 5th than 6th (+ raising the top gear alone will not give you a higher top speed - you need the power/ torque to pull it)

The aerodynamic drag is the square of the speed (non linear)- if you double the speed there is four times the drag - so there is four times the aerodynanic drag at 120mph than there is at 60mph - this is why you get a much better MPG cruising at 60mph than at 70

The speedo on the car is allowed to be 10% out - more often than not, it reads 10% more than the actual speed - so that when you see 130mph, you could actually be really doing 117mph, also, when manufacturers/ magazines etc do their tests, they are done with accurate timing/ speed equipment that measures the ACTUAL speed, on top of this, the tests are done on the flat (a hill or even a slight downhill gradient can make a big difference to the speed) as well as the effect of a tailwind (a significant effect- see above)

So if you have an optomistic speedo, a tailwind and a gradient you could see speeds on the speedo that you are not actually doing, and are not achievable on the flat with no wind, and you cannot compare these figures to actual legitimately measured performance figures accurately measured in controlled conditions (like the tests manufacturers and magazine do) - so, for example, if you compare the top speed you've seen on your speedo to another cars that was properly tested (same goes for 0-60mph standing 1/4 mile/ 50-70mph in top etc)

i never said it was accurate, i said approximate top speed.

the calculation has worked on my mums mk1 2.0 focus and was confirmed on a private road ;) and the same with a 2.0D X-Type... again on a private road ;)

[Philf1]

The top speed is only ever what you dare get up to anyway and depends on how many rozzers are around your area.

As for eyelashes only hairdressers have them on Mini's or those ugly Micra's.

[Mr Singh]

The top speed is only ever what you dare get up to anyway and depends on how many rozzers are around your area.

As for eyelashes only hairdressers have them on Mini's or those ugly Micra's.

iv seen them eye lashes on matiz's and corsa's even saw them on a mk1 focus... oh how i feel like taking a pair of giant tweezers and plucking them off, they look awfull

[b1g_dav3]

iv seen them eye lashes on matiz's and corsa's even saw them on a mk1 focus... oh how i feel like taking a pair of giant tweezers and plucking them off, they look awfull

I have brows on my mum's Matiz... Maybe these will finish the look :P

[mixmasterlooney]

107 mph is a good number, not that i have ever done such speeds on public roads...

[Stoney871]

Did 120ish last week, but that was on a blue light after all H&S criteria were met.

[pugsley82]

just over 160 by my gps thingy.... on a runway of course :-)